Kochi, Sep 7 (IANS): In an incident that has once again pitted animal lovers against those in favour of controlling the number of stray dogs in Kerala, a stray canine bit a three-year-old boy, injuring him in both his eyes.

Hailing from a very poor family, the boy is presently admitted at Little Flower Hospital in Angamaly, near here. Doctors said a surgery would be performed on his eyes on Tuesday.

The boy, Amal, was sitting outside his house when a stray dog bit him on Sunday afternoon. Hearing his cries, the boy's mother raised a hue and cry and chased away the dog with the help of neighbours.

The boy was shifted to a hospital with bite injuries to both eyes and other parts of the body. After fist aid, he was admitted to a premier eye hospital at Angamaly.

Eldos Kunnapally, Ernakulam district panchayat president leading a campaign to regulate the number of stray dogs, brought this boy's plight to the attention of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

"He (Chandy) directed the district authorities to ensure that the expenses on the boy's treatment were taken care of by the state government," said Kunnapally.

More than one lakh people have been bitten by stray dogs in the last many months in Kerala, making it a major issue with the people's representatives at different levels.

Meanwhile, social media was flooded with anger towards stray dog lovers in the state after Amal's case came to light.